Paris is, without a doubt, one of my favourite cities for Christmas decorations and Christmas lights. The ‘City of Light’ is a festive treat every single year with incredible decorations in many of the main areas of the city, as well as some of the biggest department stores like Galeries Lafayette. Christmas in Paris is definitely something to experience!
There are also some smaller, less well-known spots dotted around the city that are worth a visit if you have the time. I’m not the most festive when it’s early December (I’m at least a mid-December person) but I was definitely feeling the Christmas spirit exploring these spots in Paris!
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Best Locations for Christmas Decorations in Paris 2019
Galeries Lafayette
Address: Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris
Nearest metro station: Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette (1-minute walk – lines 7 & 9), Opéra (4-minute walk – lines 3, 7 & 8)
This is the location of probably the best-known Christmas tree in Paris! Galeries Lafayette has a theme each year that they decorate to and the theme for 2019 is ‘Christmas Beehive’. While not a big fan of bees in real life (thanks to a phobia of wasps that relates to anything looking mildly similar), this is such a cute festive installation!
Every half an hour there is a ‘performance’, which is absolutely wonderful. There are lights and music and many of the decorations move – it’s really lovely to watch.
The other attraction inside Galeries Lafayette is the Glasswalk, a glass-bottomed platform that extends out into the centre of the huge domed space. I opted not to queue for this as I was there on a Friday afternoon and it was VERY busy – the queue would have been about 30 minutes or more! If you do want to visit, it’s best to visit on a weekday relatively early in the morning when you should only wait 15-20 minutes maximum.
They only permit 15 people onto the Glasswalk at one time and a security guard will usher you off when your time is up. It’s definitely a challenge to get an Instagram-style shot with this time pressure! I decided to instead get a chai latte and sit at the Starbucks and wait for another lights and music show – I highly recommend this option if you want to relax for a bit and also watch people who don’t realize the end of the glass walkway can wobble if they rush onto it too fast *evil laugh*.
The rooftop of Galeries Lafayette is also a must-visit when in Paris! This year, they have converted their rooftop – which provides wonderful views over Paris year-round – into an ice rink. And the best bit? It’s free!
Don’t miss one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and probably the only view of it while ice-skating! The rink is open from 9:30am to 8:30pm and will be open until the 31st December 2019. You can enjoy a 20-minute skating session for no fee whatsoever (a rarity in otherwise expensive Paris) and enjoy a view over the city while you do so.
Bon Marché Rive Gauche
Address: 24 Rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris
Nearest metro station: Sèvres – Babylone (3-minute walk, lines 10 & 12), Saint-Sulpice (8-minute walk, line 4)
This is one place I actually hadn’t visited until seeing a photo of their Christmas décor! Their decorations this year feature what I like to call ‘levitating Christmas trees’, or Christmas trees suspended from the ceiling. Even if you don’t want to shop (or, like me, probably can’t afford any of the clothes), it’s a great spot to get out of the winter chill.
Le Bon Marché is rather photogenic in itself (not quite to the level of Galeries Lafayette but still architecturally impressive) and has a wonderful level of symmetry. Don’t miss a visit to the Librairie (confusingly this means bookshop, not library), where they have more suspended trees and also lots of interesting goodies to browse.
Place Vendôme
Nearest metro station: Opéra (5-minute walk, lines 3, 7 & 8), Tuileries (5-minute walk, line 1), Pyramides (6-minute walk, lines 7 & 14), Madeleine (7-minute walk, lines 8, 12 & 14)
Every time I’ve been to Paris at Christmas, I’ve made a stop at Place Vendôme! They always have wonderful decorations and some impressive Christmas trees, so it’s a great spot to spend some time during Christmas in Paris.
Many of the stores in the square also have beautifully decorated façades, including designer stores like Chanel. Place Vendôme is definitely one of my favourite places for Christmas decorations in Paris and a must-visit if you’re in the capital during the festive season.
They have also set up some chalets for the ‘Christmas Chalet at the Ritz‘, a Christmas market experience hosted by the 5* hotel with delicious apple strudel as well as chocolate or hazelnut pastries on offer. They also offer the Ritz’s signature hot chocolate, made with 70% Venezuelan chocolate. The Christmas Chalet will be open at Place Vendôme until the 5th January 2020.
Jardin des Tuileries
Nearest metro station: Tuileries (1-minute walk – line 1), Concorde (5-minute walk – lines 1, 8 & 12)
Only a short walk away from Place Vendôme and you will find Jardin des Tuileries. Tuileries is also one of my favourite places in Paris in autumn due to the wonderful autumn colours you get there and, during the festive season, Tuileries is transformed into a winter wonderland!
At Jardin des Tuileries, you will find a Christmas market (‘Christmas Village’) that is open until January 5th 2020. Take a ride on a merry-go-round or head to some of the chalets to enjoy some mulled wine (vin chaud) or delicious waffles (gaufres). Other chalets offer gifts and souvenirs for loved ones (or yourself) as well as gastronomic goodies as well.
There is also a Ferris Wheel, an ice rink and other fairground rides and even a whole host of festive activities aimed at children, such as puppet shows and Christmas stories.
Le Village Royal
Address: 25 Rue Royale, 75008 Paris
Nearest metro station: Madeleine (2-minute walk – lines 8, 12 & 14), Concorde (5-minute walk – lines 1, 8 & 12)
Le Village Royal is a small area of Paris that is known for its designer stores as well as its overhead umbrella installation during summer. I had been meaning to stop by here for a while to see the umbrellas but never made it here during summer so I was excited to see what they had in store for Christmas and they definitely did not disappoint!
They definitely have some of the cutest Christmas decorations in Paris – at each end of the open-air shopping passage you will find a giant teddy bear! One is absolutely massive and towers over you and there is a little bench in front of it if you want to sit down for some photos. The other, smaller bear is located at the opposite end and holds three red balloons.
I’m not sure which is my favourite bear out of the two but I’ve definitely seen many more photos on Instagram featuring the smaller bear so he seems to be winning the cuteness contest… but either way, Le Village Royal is definitely winning my approval for their Christmas decorations.
Galerie Vivienne
Address: 5 Rue de la Banque, 75002 Paris
Nearest metro station: Bourse (4-minute walk – line 3), Pyramides (6-minute walk – lines 7 & 14), Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (7-minute walk – lines 1 & 7)
One of the 20 or so remaining covered passages (passages couvert) in Paris, Galerie Vivienne is the best known and also has the best decorations during the festive period. These covered passages date back to the 19th century, although many were destroyed during the Haussmann renovations of Paris.
Located not far from the Palais Royal (one of the best places to take pictures in Paris – see more in my article on the most instagrammable locations in Paris!), Galerie Vivienne is a beautiful spot to visit all year round.
During the festive period, the elegant shopping arcade has some beautiful Christmas lights adorning the shops and is a wonderful spot to escape any bad weather (or just the cold!) during the winter months.
Louis Vuitton (Place Vendôme)
Address: 2 Place Vendôme, 75001 Paris
Nearest metro station: Opéra (5-minute walk, lines 3, 7 & 8), Tuileries (5-minute walk, line 1), Pyramides (6-minute walk, lines 7 & 14), Madeleine (7-minute walk, lines 8, 12 & 14)
Each year, the Louis Vuitton store at Place Vendôme unveils a beautiful Christmas display, which is usually a huge sunburst that lights up the façade. This year was no different, with their beautiful display brightening up the gloomy weather that we were, unfortunately, dealing with during our visit to Paris at Christmas.
Just take care when photographing the Louis Vuitton façade as the road that passes in front of the decorations is often used – make sure not to take photos when stood in the road! This may sound like an obvious recommendation but I’ve seen it happen too many times…
There are also other beautifully (yet not so massively) decorated stores in this area, such as Longchamp, Roger Dubuis and the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Dior (Avenue Montaigne)
Address: 34 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
Nearest metro station: Franklin-Roosevelt (4-minute walk, lines 1 & 9)
One of the best-known shop façades in Paris at Christmas has to be Dior – they have some wonderful Christmas decorations adorning the front of the store! Unfortunately, the store façade is under renovation during 2019 so there was no Christmas décor this year, but the beautiful decorations should return in 2020.
Even though 2019 did not see the iconic Dior decorations, Avenue Montaigne is nonetheless a beautiful place to see Christmas lights in Paris. The avenue is well known for the designer stores and other high-end locations and they are always beautifully decorated, particularly during the holiday season.
Champs Élysées
Nearest metro stations: George V (line 1), Franklin-Roosevelt (lines 1 & 9), Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau (lines 1 & 13)
Completing the list of beautiful Christmas decorations in Paris is the Champs-Élysées, an iconic location in the French capital. If you are looking for some of the best Christmas lights in Paris then this avenue is definitely where you need to be!
Unfortunately, due to the protests and riots, I didn’t make it to the Champs-Élysées during the festive season in 2019 so I didn’t get to see the beautiful lights in person this year (my visit managed to coincide – most unfortunately – with the worst day of protests).
Nevertheless, I love the Christmas lights that they put up on the Champs Élysées and have been lucky enough to see them in other years – it is definitely a beautiful location to visit in Paris at Christmas! You can admire the impressive lights stretching all the way down the avenue and up to the Arc de Triomphe, which is definitely something to see during the holiday season.
There are so many beautiful locations to see wonderful Christmas decorations in Paris and some are truly iconic! While some may get very busy (Galeries Lafayette), others are slightly less known for their decorations (Le Bon Marché) so there is something to visit whatever your tastes!
If you’re looking to escape the cold or the rain then indoor locations such as Galerie Vivienne or Galeries Lafayette are ideal, but if you are treated with pleasant winter weather then Place Vendôme and Jardin des Tuileries are just as beautiful.
Have you been to Paris at Christmas? Do you have any spots that you love for Christmas decorations in Paris?
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